Umbrella Bamboo
(Fargesia murielae jumbo)

Unlike other species of Bamboo, the Umbrella Bamboo is bushy right from the top to the bottom, making it perfect for an evergreen screen. The stems begin out as green, and then as they mature, gradually turn to a yellowy colour. It is rather like the Green Bamboo, but Fargesia will grow twice the height- hence its name ‰ۡÌÝÌáJumbo.‰ۡó»

This plant is fast growing, but also low maintenance, which means you can easily leave it to grow freely and let it become a contemporary styled plant. Due to being non-invasive and clump-forming, Umbrella Bamboo is the best Bamboo variety for hedging- it will not spread and invade other areas of the garden, as Phyllostachys will often do.̴Ì?

It may be a low maintenance plant, but the Fargesia murielae ‰ۡÌÝÌáJumbo‰ۡó» can take a good year or two to settle down and begin to fully establish. You also need to plant in a hole/pot twice the size of the root size for it to grow its full height and spread. Planting in dry soil will also slow down their growth rate, so make sure it is placed in moist soil and in a sunny or semi-shady position.

• Growth height: Fast (40-60cm per year)
• Ideal height: 2.5m+ Tall
• Soil Type: Normal, moist
• Exposure: Inland, Sheltered
• Aspect: Semi-shade, Sun
• Evergreen foliage? Yes

Umbrella Bamboo is a clump forming species, and therefore must be pruned quite regularly to ensure it does not spread further than wanted. Spindly and unwanted canes can also be cut down to ground level in Springtime, along with new shoots (so they can grow to the same height as the remaining bits of the hedge).

When should I plant Umbrella Bamboo hedging?

The best time to plant Bamboo is at the beginning of spring, when temperatures just begin to warm up.

How far apart do you plant Umbrella Bamboo plants?

Umbrella Bamboo does not need to be spread out as much as other bamboos, as it is not as invasive. A 3ft gap between established plants usually works best.

How to plant Umbrella Bamboo:

‰ۢÌöÌÛBefore planting, ensure that any heavily pot bound roots are spread out. Give the root ball a very good soaking - preferably by soaking in a large tub of water for 20 minutes. This helps to moisten the roots thoroughly, and promote best growth.

Firstly, dig a hole that's around 1.5-2 times bigger than the depth and width of the root ball. Work in some compost/manure into the dug-up soil, and add around 1/3 of grit (but only if the soil is rather heavy). Be sure to leave a decent layer of compost at the bottom, and that the plant's root ball is slightly lower than the depth of the hole - so that backfilling soil can be placed on top of the original soil.

Backfill the hole with excess soil and press down lightly to secure the plant. We do not recommend adding any fertiliser, but watering thoroughly to remove any air pockets, and laying down a bit of mulch (including compost, hay, grass, manure, or leaf mould).

̴Ì?